Pointing device and method for item location and/or selection assistance

Abstract

The invention describes a pointing device ( 1 ) and a methode for item location and/or selection assistance, which method comprises visually presenting a number of items (M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , M 4 ) in a visual presentation (VIP, VP′, aiming a pointing device ( 1 ) comprising a camera ( 2 ) and a directable source ( 12 ) of a concentrated beam of light (L) at the visual presentation (VP, VP′ of the items (M 1 , M 2 , M 3 , M 4 ), generating image data ( 3 ) of a target area (A) at which the pointing device ( 1 ) is aimed, analysing the image data ( 3 ) in order to locate a specific point within the target area (A), generating control signals ( 9 ) for controlling the directing arrangement ( 4 ), and directing the concentrated beam of light (L) so that the point (P 1 ) coincides with the specific point in the target area (A). The invention describes an interacting device ( 13 ) for interacting with a pointing device ( 1 ) to carry out I:he method for item location and/or selection assistance. Furthermore, the invention describes a system ( 14 ) for item location and/or selection assistance.

1 . A pointing device, comprising
 a camera for generating image data of a target area in the direction in which the pointing device is aimed;   a source of a concentrated beam of light for generating a light point within the target area; and   a directing arrangement for directing the concentrated beam of light at any point in the target area .   
     
     
         2 . A pointing device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , comprising
 a communication interface for transferring image data to an image analysis unit; and   a communication interface for receiving from a control signal generation unit control signals for controlling the directing arrangement.   
     
     
         3 . A pointing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an image analysis unit for analysing image data; and   a control signal generation unit for generating control signals for controlling the directing arrangement.   
     
     
         4 . An interacting device or interacting with a pointing device according to  claim 2 , comprising
 a receiving unit for receiving image data from the pointing device;   an image analysis unit for analysing the received image data;   a control signal generation unit for generating control signals for controlling the directing arrangement of the pointing device;   a sending unit for sending the control signals to the pointing device;   
     
     
         5 . A system for item location and/or selection assistance comprising a pointing device according to  claim 3 , and a visual presentation of a number of items. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method for item location and/or selection assistance, comprising:
 visually presenting a number of items in a visual presentation;   aiming a pointing device comprising a camera and a directable source of a concentrated beam of light at the visual presentation of the items;   generating image data of a target area at which the pointing device is aimed;   analysing the image data in order to locate a specific point within the target area;   generating control signals for controlling the directing arrangement; and   directing the concentrated beam of light so that the light point coincides with the specific point in the target area.   
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , where a visual presentation of the items is presented in static form. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 7 , where a visual presentation of the items is presented dynamically. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein image data of the target area are analysed by comparing it to a predefined template of the target area and/or the visual presentation. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 7 , where a located item is shown to the user by directing the light point at the located item. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 7 , where a selected item is determined by locating a point in the template corresponding to a target point in the visual presentation at which a user has aimed the pointing device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of according to  claim 12 , where the target point is determined by a method comprising the following steps: detecting distinctive points in the image data of the visual presentation;
 determining corresponding points in the template of the visual presentation;   developing a transformation for mapping the points in the image data to the corresponding points in the template;   using the transformation to determine the position and aspect of the pointing device relative to the visual presentation;   locating the intersection point of a certain axis of the pointing device with the visual presentation.